


Empty Offerings

by Fyliwion



Series: 30 Kisses [1]
Category: Magic Kaito
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Character Death, F/M, Five Years Later, Ghosts, Look Over Here, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23783005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyliwion/pseuds/Fyliwion
Summary: She went every year on the anniversary. She needed the company just as much as he did, and maybe sometimes she wished for a ghost too.
Relationships: Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid/Nakamori Aoko
Series: 30 Kisses [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713385
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Empty Offerings

**Author's Note:**

> If you follow me on ff.net sorry to disappoint, but these are imported and not new. With all this immense time now on my hands, I decided to re-edit and import my 30 Kisses challenge to A03. There will probably be some changes from ff.net, especially since it's been almost ten years since I completed them (and 15 since I started the challenge). With that said if you're reading it bear that in mind-- my heart bleeds for the fluffy romantic fic writer I was all those years ago. 
> 
> 30 Kisses Challenge  
> Theme #1: Look Over Here

She was still so angry Aoko had considered bringing him fish as a gift. On the way there she'd passed more than two separate fish vendors, and both times seriously toyed with buying a whole fish and taking that instead.

She did give in when she passed another vendor selling cheap sashimi. It wasn't very good quality, but the thing wasn’t going to be eaten anyway and it was more an act of revenge than anything else. She took the couple pieces and snuck them in with the rest of the meal. At worst, she'd have him haunting her about it for the next week, but then it wasn't like that would bother her anyway.

Not that it mattered. Someone had to bring him stuff, and she highly doubted anyone one else was going to go about doing it. Not now at least. She'd brought something for his father as well, but it was Kaito who needed it the most. Kaito who she needed to talk to.

She clutched her bags to her and tried to ignore the cold wind that was cooling off the food she'd tried so hard to pack. It was silly, but she had been hoping that it'd still be warm by the time she'd gotten there.

Through her mittens, she was relieved to feel the dish still had some heat as she reached the gate of the temple. She knew the path outside well enough she could have passed through it blind folded. It shouldn't have felt so familiar as she walked inside and made her offering for the incense before heading back towards the stone markers.

His was first.

She stopped and unloaded the dishes she'd packed, setting up the rice with incense followed by the curry and chocolate bar and setting the sushi on a separate little plate in the middle. A bottle of cheap sake went along with it as well.

She kneeled in front of it and closed her eyes, mumbling the first prayer before she finally allowed herself to open her eyes and look squarely at the stone, "I'm mad at you, you know." she told it softly. "Furious actually. I know I shouldn't be anymore, but I still am since you're so dense as all this," her eyes fell to the ground and she brushed away the cold feeling that had been threatening her in her chest.

"I miss you," she whispered under her breath. "I've… I've finished University now and I'm going into the task force anytime. Hakuba and I- no not like that-" she could hear him swearing even as the words came out, "I mean he's just helping me try to find that group of yours. We think we're close. There's another detective too so-"

She stared at the food as she went silent. It was ridiculous really talking like this, and she noticed that another man had joined her a little ways down and was leaving an offering. She wasn't sure when he'd gotten there, but she saw him look her way and her cheeks went red. She must look ridiculous talking to a grave like that, or like some crazed wife the way she had a miniature feast laid out. She knew she’d gone a bit extreme but-

He was only a few feet away when she saw him glance over and heard a low chuckle from his lips as he bowed his head once again. The laugh caught her attention and suddenly all her anger and resentment flew out at the man instead.

"What?!" she yelled towards the man as he glanced back up startled.

"Yes?"

"What? What's so funny? I heard you laughing," her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand as she glared at him.

The man looked slightly taken aback but the smile was still steadfast on his lips. It annoyed her even more, "I just happen to see those two little pieces of sushi and they made me grin. Usually it's either a whole boat or people wouldn't bother with it. Seeing how it's… well fish." 

He gave her an apologetic grin.

She didn't buy it.

"It's a joke alright? You shouldn't laugh at other people's offerings. Its rude, and I don't see you going all out-" she said with a huff.

Which made him shift slightly and she saw with some satisfaction his smile shrunk, "I just wanted to pay respects to my father. We have an understanding and I don't know that he'd really care for all that," he said with a shrug. 

Another sly grin, "So with all those is it your lover or your brother?"

She almost fell over, "What?"

The man grinned wider, "Well to haul all of that up here to a grave where the poor guy's not really even going to eat it, I mean he either had to be close family or you had to have been married and thus keeping up the wifely duties."

She turned away, feeling scalded by how nonchalant his tone was. How dare this man make light of another person’s prayers, "He was a friend, thanks. Not that it's any of your business, but just a friend."

"Lucky friend," the guy said with an appreciative whistle. He looked back at the sashimi and asked, "So you said those were a joke? Am I allowed to- well ask? I mean curiosity's got me now."

For a moment she considered not bothering, but something in the way he stood there. He looked nothing like Kaito and sounded almost nothing like Kaito. His dialect was from an entirely separate province, but his joking attitude and friendly smile made her give in.

"He hated fish," she mumbled to him.

The man raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

"He hated fish," she repeated with a sigh. "He was terrified of them, and nothing you could possibly do would ever entice him to eat them."

"….He hated fish and yet you're leaving them as an offering?" The man raised his eyebrow and she scowled further.

"I'm still mad at him- so I figured I'd sneak in a couple of sashimi as, well, retribution."

The man grinned, "You mean revenge?"

"Whatever…"

He looked around and his smirk disarmed her as he asked in a low voice, "Not afraid of being haunted?"

She felt a shiver run up her spine but she tossed her head and pushed away the feeling, "Let him haunt me. Then I'd get to tell him off well and good," she added with a smile of her own. Funny how a couple years ago she could never have imagined standing at his grave or a year ago smiling at his grave would have seemed impossible. How even six months ago she could barely talk about Kaito without cutting the conversation short.

The man gave her an appraising look before nodding, "Understandable…"

They let an easy silence fall between them for quite a while before the man shifted uncomfortably and looked up, "I guess I should leave you to your prayers-"

She shifted and looked back to the grave suddenly feeling self conscious of how easily she chatted with the stranger over his grave. She'd managed to be disrespectful without even trying hard.

"I guess I should," she murmured, except that the words were on her tongue before she had a second thought. Maybe she hoped in some way that Kaito had sent her the easy stranger who somehow reminded him of him. Vaguely, but the easy laugh and smiling eyes was something she didn't see very often except among foreigners.

"You know," she said daringly, "I ummm… would you be interested in, maybe, coffee sometime? You know...or now? I mean-" she stumbled over the words and felt even more awkward. It was completely out of character and if anyone else had been there she would have never ever dared to break protocol like that but-

The man's eyebrows shot up, "Uh…"

She felt her cheeks turn crimson, "I mean I don't want to be forward. Please don't think- I just it's very nice to meet you and all, and if you could wait a few moments-" she saw his gaze grow sombre and she felt a pang inside, "Though maybe-"

His eyes darted away, "I… I'm sorry I don't think that would be the best idea."

"Oh-" she said, feeling her heart drop in her stomach, "I'm… oh I'm so dense… I'm sorry I shouldn't have-"

He shook his head and she saw that he was suddenly taken aback, "No! I mean don't get me wrong I would love- it's just… a nice woman like you shouldn't get involved with someone like me" he said with a wink. "Trust me on that. Thank you though. I am flattered if a little surprised."

"Of course," she said, her throat tight.

"Well I should-" he nodded his head towards the gate and she gave a quick nod in reply.

"Of course… um… good to meet you-"

"You too…"

She didn't let herself watch him head up the path towards the main courtyard. Instead she picked up the bowl of rice and incense for Kaito's mother and murmured an apology to him as she walked over to the elder Kuroba's grave.

And froze when she noticed that a selection of sake, rice and a still burning stick of incense had already been set there as well as a single ace that was set under the bowl.

The bowl of rice fell from her hands as she looked around realizing this had to be the grave the man had been at.

_ "Just visiting my father that's all-" _

But that was- It wasn't possible. He was…

Except-

_ “You shouldn’t get involved with someone like me.”  _

She ignored the spilled rice and turned to see the man's figure getting smaller, but he was still there. He hadn't disappeared yet, which might mean….

"Wait!" She yelled and she saw the figure stop and turn to look over his shoulder. She picked up and ran down the path towards where the man was and she could tell by his body language he was debating taking off or letting her catch him.

"Don't! Please! Look over here!" She fought for breath as she caught up and saw the man look at her with eyes wide. Blue eyes. Deep blue eyes that were a shade purer than she could have ever imagined. How could she have missed that? How could she have forgotten that look? That timbre in his voice? The way he shifted his weight, and furrow of his brow?

_ "Kaito?"  _

Her voice was hardly a whisper and coming in panting breaths as she nearly collapsed in front of him. She noticed the man shift his weight, but couldn't bring herself to look up and meet his eyes.

"I think you have the wrong-"

"You said you were visiting your father didn't you? You were right?" She noticed he went rigid and this time she did dare a glance up. There was still very little resemblance between this stranger and her Kaito, except…

"I-"

"You said that didn't you?"

He frowned, "Look, Nakamori-san maybe you should just-"

And there it was. It was in the way his eyes flashed through her, and the shape and way his hand went to his hair, and how his voice pitched up and above everything else the fact she had never told this man her name.

And because she couldn't, wouldn't live without knowing-

Her arms wrapped around him and she buried her face into his jacket. She held on for dear life and closed her eyes and wondered when or if she would wake up.

_ "Excuse me," _ his voice held a touch of incredulousness as she felt soft hands gently try to push her off.

Her eyes burned, "Don't you  _ dare _ do that."

"I don't even know-"

"I never told you my name," she watched as his shoulder's drooped and his eyes didn't quite meet hers.

"Would you believe me if I said I saw you on the news?" he asked hoarsely.

"I saw you by the grave. I didn't make the connection until I saw noticed an offering had already been placed and no one else had been there."

His flickered to hers before he turned away, "Maybe it was a ghost? I'm afraid Nakamori-san you have the wrong man.”

She looked up at his face and shook her head, "It's you. I know it's you. You're-" her anger was flaring up again and now she just wanted to reach up and rip off whatever mask he had on and prove it.

The man let out a sigh and grabbed her hand, and the next thing she knew they were down several rows of graves and a long distance from where any street or visitor would come. She saw a shadow pass over the man’s face, and a chill ran up her spine as he pulled her out of sight. 

"Kuroba Kaito is dead," his voice was low and he met her gaze straight on as she felt her heart stop momentarily.

"But I know you're-"

"He's dead and buried. The remains were cremated, and what's left is in that tomb. According to all observances here in Japan, Kuroba Kaito is dead, and a dead man cannot be seen walking around like the living, especially with someone he was so close to." He didn't drop her gaze.

"Then you admit-"

"Nakamori-san I admit to nothing. I can't. But you need to understand that now before we discuss anything. Kuroba Kaito is dead. I am Takahashi Kyo, and cannot be Kuroba Kaito for you-" he leaned over and she swore she felt his lips brush a gentle kiss on her cheek. 

"No matter how much I may want to be," she heard him whisper in her ear.

“I don’t wish,” she whispered, her heart breaking, “I know.” 

His eyes burned as she looked up at him defiantly. After a moment he swore, and dipped his head down. 

When his lips caught hers she thought she might break into two. Her fingers slipped into his hair, while his arms circled her waist and pulled her tight against his body. Her senses overloaded, screaming  _ Kaito, Kaito, Kaito.  _

She knew him from the smell of roses and gunpowder. The long lithe fingers that strummed her back like magic tricks. The taste of magic on his lips, as his kiss deepened and she heard him groan and she would never ever ever let this go again. 

Tears ran down her cheeks when they pulled away, and his fingers brushed them off her cheeks. He licked his lips resting his forehead against hers. 

"I'm sorry," he told her softly. 

And then he pulled away. 

“What are you-” 

He turned and walked away. Quickly. A poker face firmly in place refusing to look back. 

No no no. 

"Ka- Takahashi! Wait!"

And she ran after him. 

Because she'd risk everything before she watched his ghost walk away for a second time.

**Author's Note:**

> I am no expert on funeral rites in Buddhism or Shintoism, so I apologize for whatever I got wrong. I also think I was still in High School when I wrote this (or just began college), so keep that in mind as well. I've edited and changed a few things from the ff.net version, so if you notice discrepancies that is entirely true.


End file.
